Segway Reaction of the Day

Okay, I apologize for not having posted any Reactions in God-knows-how-long. I assure you, there have been PLENTY, and I will get to them soon enough. Until then, I will present you with just a couple from tonight (both while gliding back from Georgetown):

• 20-something guy to his friend: "That guy's got a fuckin' Segway!"
• attractive woman talking to friends outside my apartment: "That's awesome." ("Thanks!") "Do you ride that everywhere?" ("Yeah, pretty much.") Look of awe.

I swear, every time I am about to give up gliding because I don't like the constant attention and occasional snicker, I get comments like this that buoy my spirits...

I am pretty sure my Segway experience, coupled with my writing skills, would be enough to get me published in the Washington Post Sunday Magazine. Stay tuned. ;-)

Segway Reaction of the Day!

As I zoomed down S Street, a couple of guys in a pickup truck called out to me at a stop sign.

"Hey man, how fast does that thing go?" the passenger asked.
"13 mph," I said, rounding up a bit. "Pretty fast for the sidewalk!"
"Yeah, you were moving," said the driver.
I smiled. "I beat the bus every time!"

I nodded my respects at them, and took off.

Segway Reaction of the Day!

In almost every Segway Reaction, I am asked how much my ride cost me. Typically, I respond matter-of-factly, "$5,000." This morning I decided to take a different tack. After being motioned over by an African-American gentleman, who was very curious as to how this puppy worked, he popped the question. How much?
"Free!" I said.
"Free? Oh, because you work for the company or something?"
"Nah, nah. I don't work for them. But I'm saving a hundred bucks a month in gas..."
"Ohhh, I see!"
"It's five thousand dollars but I got a loan, I pay about a hundred ten a month, but I'm saving a lot more than that. I haven't taken the bus in a month."
"Yeah, I take the bus every day!"
"So, it's essentially free," I said.
"It is free!" he assured me. "You're making money!"
"I'm making money! It's great!"

He thanked me for my time, shook my hand, and I zoomed away with a big smile on my face.

Segway Reaction of the Day!

July 2, 2007

Near the end of my 2.5 mile journey to work this morning, I got my first anti-Segway remark! According to the Segway chat boards, this is probably the most common negative response. So I'm about 2 blocks from work, when I hear a middle-aged guy yell something at me. I was traveling at about 10 mph and listening to NPR on my headphones, so it was a bit hard to hear... and there was a very slight Doppler Effect that I had to correct for... but in the end, his message was clear:

"Walking's healthier!"

Why thank you, kind sir! Yes, I suppose walking 5 miles to and from work every day might be "healthier" (it would burn 500 calories, after all). There would, however, be several down sides:

• At my standard ambling pace of 3 mph, my one-way commute would take approximately 50 minutes;
• With my extremely efficient body-heat-reduction capabilities, supercharged by humid DC summers, I would be drenched by the time I got to work;
• I would have to use more sun block (SPF 70); and
  
• I may get a bit tired.

Segway Opponents assume everyone just rolls around on their wheels because they're lazy and don't want to walk down the street for lunch. But as my Evil Boss can attest to, I walk to Quizno's, thank you very much. Any more than half-a-mile or so, however, and you're damn right I'm gliding!

Segway Reaction of the Day!

June 23, 2007

A boy, perhaps 10 years old, stops me as I'm waiting at a cross walk. He is clearly excited about this newfangled transportation mechanism.
"Where did you get that!" he shouts out.
I remove my headphones. "Segway store," I say.
"Segway store? What's a Segway?"
"This is called a Segway!" I say with a smile. "There's a Segway store at 13th and I."
"Oh," says the boy. He looks contemplative. "How much does it cost?"
I know my answer will dishearten him, but it's best he learn how to deal with unfortunate realities now. "Five thousand dollars," I say.
His face scrunches up. He had clearly been intending to proceed directly to the store, until, that is, I burst his bubble. "I wish it was cheaper," he says. "I don't have the money."
The signal turned to "Walk," and as I glided away, I shouted behind me, "You will someday!!!"

Segway Reaction of the Day!

Friday, June 22

I rolled on over to Ford's Theatre (where Lincoln was shot) for rehearsal, only to find there was no bike rack in sight. "Excuse me," I said to a guard, "do you know where there's a bike rack nearby?" They didn't really know, and I was about to go in search of one, when the security guards inside the building offered to let me store my Segway inside -- without my even asking! Even more surprising is these were National Park Service guards (Segways are actually banned from all National Park Service property).

Most amusing: I leaned my Segway up against the wall just inside the building... and the guards put orange cones around it! Ha! Awesome!

New Feature: Segway Reaction of the Day!

I was originally planning on posting on occasional story about the most recent reaction I had gotten while gliding about the City. Then I realized: I get interesting reactions almost every day. And so this regular feature is born.

Eventually I plan to have the last few "SRDs" in a column on the right side of the page, with a link to the full archive. For now, though, for simplicity's sake (and because I can't figure out how to do that), I'll just post the last four right here.

Segway Reactions of the Day (SRD):

June 21: As I'm trying to lock Seggie* up to a light pole (which is proving too big to get my cable lock around), a minivan stops in the middle of the street as the driver, a middle-aged woman, rolls down her window. "Do you love it?" she shouts, smiling. I respond: "I do! It's great!" I rattle off some positives -- getting to work in the time it takes to wait for the bus; saving money -- but the woman needs no convincing. I tell her she should get one. She thanks me for my time and drives away.

UPDATE (11 pm): New SRD: As I'm unlocking it after a reception, I notice three foreigners watching it intently. A man is describing to two women how it works. They are all speaking in Spanish, and I can't understand much, but I am acutely aware that they are watching me. After I get it unlocked, I stand on the platform and look at them. Now that they know I see them, they smile back at me. I briefly explain how it works, demonstrating how it responds to my slightest movements, while the man translates my words for the ladies. After a moment, I say, "Adios." They light up, and respond in unison, "Adios!!!" I turn and zoom away.

June 20: Toward the end of my commute home down Reservoir Road, I pass a group of older foreign women sitting next to the sidewalk outside the French Embassy. They all look up as I pass, and one of them actually starts applauding. She probably thinks it's hard to balance, and is applauding my skill. Little does she know it's doing all the work for me!

June 19: I'm heading back from a comedy show at Dupont Circle around 11 pm, and as I pass the Metro, an attractive woman calls out to me. "Excuse me sir, how does that work?!" I tell her it balances for me. "You have to let me try it," she says, approaching me, "it's my birthday!" I step down and put it in Turtle Mode, ready to give my standard Beginner's Lesson. But before I have a chance to tell her what to do, she steps up on it like an old pro. Very graceful, no beginner's shake. I show her how to move, and she asks me some more questions. I like her -- she's cute and spunky and very intelligent. Perhaps I can parlay this into another encounter? "By the way, happy birthday," I say. "How old are you?" Her response: "Seventeen!" Damn.

June 18: I'm returning from work, dressed in suit and tie. Stopped at a crosswalk, some guys next to me are clearly curious. I say hello, and one of them asks me, "Does it work?" Not how does it work, but does it work. I don't really know how to answer that... I'm standing on it and it's moving me around just fine, after all. I consider my answer, and carefully respond, ".........Yes."

*I would like to come up with a more creative name for the flying scooter than Seggie. If you have any suggestions, please drop them in the comments. So far I'm considering "Bruiser," "Steve," and "Donnie Milton the Fourth."